The use of condoms as a means for preventing conception or the transmission of diseases is well-known. In more recent times, the spread of autoimmunedeficiency (AIDS) has greatly increased the use of condoms under the initiative of females as well as males. This has increased the desirability of providing means for quickly and effectively applying a condom to a penis, either by the female or the male participant in the sexual act, even under those circumstances where the penis has not yet become fully erect.
Many devices have been shown for providing a condom, unrolling and applying same to a penis, and for means of efficiently and economically marketing and promoting the use of condoms. Most of these devices require mechanical assistance or depend upon manual manipulation, and some of the devices are developed particularly for expanding and testing the condoms at the manufacturer's establishment prior to marketing of same. Such devices are shown in the following U.S. patents:
______________________________________ Baxter et al 2,900,779 08/25/59 Stuck 3,431,706 03/11/69 Pharo 4,597,244 07/01/86 Lovik 4,809,483 03/07/89 Lovik 4,809,484 03/07/89 Hardy 4,878,335 11/07/89 Domenichiello 4,970,844 11/20/90 Rich et al 4,974,393 12/04/90 Rupp 5,033,256 07/23/91 Gee 5,088,267 02/18/92 ______________________________________
Because the present invention utilizes the creation of pressure to expand the condom prior to use and vacuum at the time of use (as contrasted to expanding and testing the same in the manufacturer's establishment), the Romaniszyn U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,582 is more relevant than the others. However, in the aforesaid Romaniszyn patent, the condom is expanded within a tubular applicator at the factory, and the vacuum which pulls the condom in expanded condition must be maintained throughout the packaging, shipping, selling and prior to use. Furthermore, such a device requires expensive marketing, shipping and packaging materials and, once used, is thereafter discarded. The applicator of the present invention can utilize the standard rolled condoms and can be reused as many times as desired.